08.31.18 Issue (Volume CVIII, Issue II)

OPTIMIST

@acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist

BAYLOR GAME Football opens its season against Baylor tomorrow at 7 p.m.

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Volume CVIII, Issue II Campus News A new coffee shop to open across from campus, and student life hires a new director of OMA. Read more about SGA’s goals and its charitable bet with Baylor’s SGA...............................Page 1-4

Friday August 31, 2018

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Opinion

Sports ACU Football gears up for their opening game against Baylor this Saturday. Read our sports staff predictions for the game, as well as an update on the tennis and golf facilities..........................Page 6

S M

Our Editorial Board discusses our mission statement, our hopes for the student body and alumni readers as well as thoughts on university policy..............................................................Page 5

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mitch Wilburn, the preacher at Park Plaza Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla., spoke at Opening Chapel last Monday after the annual Parade of Flags. Wilburn is the newest member on the Board of Trustees.

CAMPUS NEWS

ABILENE NEWS

Napier to lead OMA as new director

AISD board proposes Taylor reconstruction

ALLEN MARTIN COPY EDITOR

The student life office hired April Napier as the new director of the office of multicultural affairs following the resignation of Prentice Ashford.

Napier spent the past six years in diversity and multicultural initiatives. She was the chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Undergraduate Student Government at Ohio State University, creating and administering Cultural Competency training for faculty and staff at Ohio State.

Napier left a mark on OSU, and she said she brings the same passion and expertise to OMA. “I am passionate about amplifying the talents, passions and Napier voices of those who are sometimes ignored or silenced,” Napier said. “I am excited for our community to see exactly how much light we really have on this campus if we would just turn the lights on.”

Napier said many stu-

dents have difficulty getting plugged in. An important aspect of the various student organizations on campus is to ensure every student is able to find a place to belong. OMA is no different.

“OMA serves as a safe space for students who are struggling to find a space to fit in ethnically and racially,” Napier said. “It serves to empower those who normally feel less empowered, give a voice to those who are normally considered voiceless and resources to others who may not understand the daily lifestyle of some-

one different from them. It is a home to those who are away from home and who don’t always feel welcomed in their experiences on campus. In OMA, you will be assured the love, patience and empowerment of Christ filtering through our spaces.”

Napier recognizes that running an organization and being an integral part of a complex body of people does not come without challenges. But being part of OMA presents a unique set of challenges.

“I think the greatest challenge is a possible disconnect Continued on Page 3

ALLAYNA FORD MANAGING EDITOR

Due to a deteriorating structure, Taylor Elementary is looking to tear down its current site and rebuild a new school, and the intramural fields are one possible site.

According to Director of Communications Philip Ashby, the Abilene ISD Board of Trustees approved a bond for $138,679,000 in a meeting on Aug. 14 to complete projects around the district.

“Taylor Elementary is one of the projects for replacement, because it is a campus that was built in 1955,” Ashby said. “Abilene ISD owns that entire lot that Taylor rests on, and ACU uses it with our permission through an agreement for their intramural fields.”

The bond must go through another round of voting by Abilene registered district voters on Nov. 6, in order for the necessary changes to be made, and Abilene ISD still has Continued on Page 2

ABILENE NEWS

Maslow Coffee plans opening in former Bitsy’s building LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Maslow Coffee Company will occupy the old Bitsy’s Flower Shop, a building that has been vacant for almost five years.

Since February, workers have been renovating the building and plan to open at the end of September.

Bitsy’s Flower Shop closed in 2013, when Bitsy Gregory decided it was time retire.

The building went through stages of multiple potential owners, but until January of 2018, it remained vacant.

Pour Man’s Coffee attempted to lease and renovate the building in March of 2017 but announced their split the following October.

At the beginning of 2018,

Miranda Palmer, a 2015 nursing graduate, saw that the building was available and contacted her parents, Garrick and Kirsten. Garrick said their family has been involved in Abilene culture for seven to eight years.

“My dad and mom always wanted to have a business of their own, and they saw an opportunity in Abilene,” said their youngest son Jonathan, a junior marketing major from Flower Mound.

The family signed the lease in January, began construction in February and continued to pray about, for and in the building.

Garrick said the inspiration to open a coffee shop was based on an experience he had with a coffee shop drive-thru in Boise, Idaho.

On the menu, he saw a specialty drink called “Milky Way,” a cappuccino that tasted like the candy bar.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is great,’” Garrick said. “For the past 20 years, I’ve wanted to open a coffee shop. With the expansion of the speciality coffee industry, there is a lot more awareness. Coffee has become the number one drink among 18-25 year olds, replacing soda.”

Jonathan and Garrick explained the meaning behind the name “Maslow” is an allusion to the American psychologist known best for his hierarchy of needs theory.

“We thought it would be a fun name that’s memorable,” Garrick said. “Everyone, at different points in their, lives has different needs. I

remember that from my college days.”

Though all three of their children attended or still attend ACU, Garrick said he will be commuting from

Flower Mound on a regular basis, and Kirsten will be the primary barista.

The store, located on Campus Court, is a quarter-mile walk from the Campus Cen-

ter. Jonathan said although he is still in school, he’s excited that his family will be so close to campus.

“It’s a little offsetting at first,” Jonathan said. “You go

Bitsy’s Flower Shop closed in 2013. Five years later, the building will be occupied for the first time with Maslow Coffee Company.

acuoptimist.com

Page 2 | News Events

Friday, August 31, 2018 CAMPUS NEWS

Trustee Wilburn preaches message of unity during Opening Chapel

Friday 08/31 1. Last day to drop classes with full refund Saturday 09/01 1. Football game @ Baylor Monday 09/03 1. Labory Day 2. SGA Week Tuesday 09/04 1. Signups for intramural indoor soccer opens.

Wednesday 09/05 1. SGA Week 2. Athletics Annual Welcome Back Thursday 09/06 1. SGA Voting 2. AYP @ ACU

49

days until fall break

ABILENE NEWS

IM fields future now uncertain Continued from Page 1 facilities throughout the whole district, causing the Master Facilities Planning Committee, a group of citizens, to form.

“Anytime you are dealing with two entities that are negotiating real estate, you really can’t comment much until an agreement is made,” (source) said.

The major projects in the plan include replacing three elementary schools that were built in the 1950s. Certain security and safety concerns about how the schools were built have been addressed, but not fixed.

Shooting near campus leaves Abilene teen injured ALLAYNA FORD STAFF REPORTER

A shooting took place a block away from campus on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was between 17-year-old Ethan Caballero and 18-year-old Louis Barrientes, who was injured.

According to police, Caballero allegedly shot Barrientes in the abdomen when Barrientes opened the front door at approximately 3 p.m.

He was flown to a Lubbock hospital and according to police he is expected to survive.

The police say that the shooting was a result of an earlier incident which took place in the parking lot of an Abuelos. Caballero drove to the victims house to confront him about a the relationship

between the victim and Caballero’s girlfriend.

Barrientes called police after he was shot and Caballero was found at a restaurant, only a half a mile away from campus, in a maroon Chevy Impala along with Alexis Jones, 18, and the two were arrested.

Two firearms and marijuana were found in the car, and, according to police, one of the firearms was stolen during a car burglary the day before.

Caballero was charged with aggravated assault, theft of a firearm and possession of marijuana; he also had two warrants for drug related charges. His bail was set to $126,750.

Jones was charged with possession of marijuana but was later released on a $750 bail.

TESSA KENNEDY STAFF REPORTER

Mitch Wilburn, the preacher at The Park Church of Christ in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was ACU’s guest speaker at Opening Chapel. Wilburn spoke on the apostle Paul’s plea in Ephesians that the church would have one body, one hope and one spirit. He related this plea back to ACU, encouraging oneness throughout the upcoming school year.

Wilburn was a student of Abilene Christian University from 1986 to 1990, graduating with a degree in youth and family ministry. He went on to pursue a masters degree in ministry at Oklahoma Christian University.

“I had a great experience at ACU, being a youth ministry major, and I interned for four years at Highland Church of Christ,” Wilburn said. “I was surrounded by a fantastic, Christ-centered body and an entire crew of professors

who bent over backwards to make sure you were doing well. Not only did the administration place Christ first, but you could sense the Christian community there.”

Mitch has two children,

“

It is less and less about what I put forward and more about spending time in prayer before hand,” MITCH WILBURN BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER

Jake and Ashton, who also attended ACU. “I am completely humbled anytime that I am able to come back onto campus and speak to the student body,” Wilburn said. “It is an honor to be back. You know, you think about the people who have spoken into you, and now you have an opportunity to be in that same position.”

In addition to speaking at Opening Chapel, Mitch Wilburn is the newest member of ACU’s board of trustees. He is

currently the youngest member of the board and is serving under the leadership of April Anthony, the new board chair.

“My position is just to do a whole lot of listening and praying,” Wilburn said.

“The men and women on the board love the Lord and ACU; that is very clear. I have been to two meetings so far.

My position is just a rookie trustee right now. It’s a good group of people.”

Wilburn has been in ministry for 28 years and has found that throughout the years, he has been able to more clearly understand that what comes out of his sermons does not come from him alone, but from the Lord.

“It is less and less about what I put forward and more about spending time in prayer before hand,” Wilburn said.

“I always want to spend time in prayer before so that people will leave where the Spirit has spoken and do what only the Spirit can do.”

Abilene coffee culture expands with Maslow Continued from Page 1 to college to get away from your parents, but once you get over that, it’s a really cool experience.”

Though Miranda was a nursing major, Christian a biology major and Jonathan a marketing major, Garrick said each member brings energy and excitement to the process.

“We’ve all been off doing our own things, but this experience has caused us to come together and bounce ideas off of each other,” Garrick said. “I didn’t realize we could get closer. This is about the adventure.”

Garrick said most of the experience is about the social aspect.

“The location is great; it’s right across from ACU in a building that has history,” Garrick said.

“We love to be social people,” Jonathan said. “We’d love to be able to impact everyone that walks into the shop. We want to serve one another like it says in the Bible and impact every single person who goes

The Palmers started renovations in February after signing the lease in January. into the shop.”

The family began educating themselves through conferences like the Los Angeles Coffee Fest and a training in Seattle. Garrick said they took business-related classes and learned about legal aspects, management, hiring and marketing. Jonathan said he’s been able to use what he’s learned with his major

thus far to help with social media and marketing.

“It gives me some experience to see the business side work, but how marketing works and how I can use ideas from the classes here and implement them into the shop.”

Maslow Coffee plans to serve basic coffee drinks including pour over, espresso beverages and

lattes, as well as specialty drinks and Italian sodas.

Despite the increasing number of local coffee shops in Abilene including Monks, Beltway Coffee Co., Mezamiz and Mad Coffee, Garrick said they want to join in and work alongside what has already been established.

“With the other coffee shops, we want to work and play,” Garrick said. “We want to be friendly. Our job is not to knock anybody out; it’s to expand the culture. It’s about building community here.”

As they continue to learn, Garrick said they look to bring third and eventually fourth wave coffee into the Abilene market.

The first wave coffee movement began in the 1960s when coffee became easily accessible for all consumers, instant coffee became popular and consumers started using increasing amounts of cream and sugar. Second wave coffee came in the late 1960s and included the rise of Starbucks,

espresso drinks and other milky drinks like frappucinos. Third wave coffee began in the 1990s, when coffee drinkers became more interested in the character of coffee, including drip and pour over.

Jonathan said though he doesn’t like taste of coffee, he is excited to participate in the social and creative aspects of being a barista.

The company showcased some speciality drinks during a Wildcat Week event and plans to open toward the end of September or early October. Their hours are not official, but Garrick said they hope to be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 12 a.m., and during finals week, potentially stay open for 24 hours.

They plan to have a late opening on Sunday to allow employees to enjoy church.

Seating in the building will allot for 92 people, with a private room for business meetings or student groups to rent out.

“We’re excited about this,” Garrick said.

CAMPUS NEWS

Student discounts available on campus and around Abilene HOPE CORDES STAFF REPORTER

With the school year starting, a variety of businesses, local and corporate, offer discounts to students with a valid ID or email.

“Last semester I went to Hashi every week with a friend on student nights for friend dates,” said Hattie Johnson, senior pyschology major from Abilene.

Local Discounts Rosa’s: New taco Tuesdays requires no student ID and for just $4.39 you can get three beef or chicken, crispy or soft tacos plus rice and beans, all day every Tuesday. There’s also still the 10% discount or free bean and cheese taco with a student ID. Hashi on East North 10th Street used to offer 10 pecent off all orders on Mondays,

but now offer twice the meat for the price of a normal meal with a student ID. Cinemark Abilene and XD sells tickets for a discounted price of $5.50 on Tuesday nights. Regular price tickets are $8.75.

Wingstop offers 15 percent off of all combos from 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday with an ID. Pizza by Design also offers 10 percent off with a student ID.

Through Sept. 3, Dirt Cheap will offer students 10% off with an ID. Dirt Cheap opened this summer at the intersection of East North 10th Street and Judge Ely. Nikki’s Frozen Yogurt offers 10 percent off with a student ID. Online Discounts An app called UNiDAYS shows student discounts for in-store purchases as well as

online shopping and freebies through emails new promo deals and limited time offers to student email addresses. The app makes it easy to explore different categories to look at discounts in areas such as food, fashion, beauty, tech and more.

Amazon offers six months of Prime free with an “edu” email. After the six month period, the price drops from $99 per year to $49 per year.

Additionally, Spotify reduces the price of a subscription to $4.99 from $9.99 with a school email.

Apple Music: Get first three months free.

Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud are free with an ACU student email and can be downloaded any time. Last year, ACU partnered with Adobe to offer graduates Creative Cloud for a reduced rate.

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 08/21/2018 8:40 p.m.

ACUPD responded to the 1400 blk of Cedar Crest in reference to a person knocking on the door asking about the electric service. The person was gone when officers arrived.

08/22/2018 2:00 p.m.

ACU Facilities Management reported that someone had caused damage to a storage building. No suspects at this time.

08/22/2018 10:15 p.m.

A couple walking on the Lunsford Trail reported that someone was launching water balloons onto Lunsford Trail near ACU Dr North. Officers checked the area and were unable to locate the subjects involved.

911 CALL..................................................2 ACCIDENT...........................................4 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY............................................22 ADVICE...................................................1 ALARM.....................................................1 ANIMAL CALL....................................1 ASSIST......................................................3 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE...............0 BARRICADES....................................17 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK............................33 BURGLARY CART PATROL....................................5 CHECK BUILDING....................276 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF..................1

DIRECT TRAFFIC............................4 DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE.....1 FOOT PATROL.................................13 FOUND CHILD..................................1 FOUND PROPERTY.......................5 HARASSMENT...................................1 HIT & RUN..........................................3 INFORMATION REPORT.........2 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP...............................................................6 LOST PROPERTY.............................5 MAINTENANCE: UNIV ASSETS....................................14 MEDICAL EMERGENCY............1 MONITOR FACILITY/ LOT............................................................8

MOTORIST ASSIST: INFLATE TIRE..................................1 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART.......................................15 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK................................................7 OTHER...................................................1 PARKING LOT PATROL............33 PARKING VIOLATION...............15 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE..............................6 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL................................................10 PROWLER..............................................1 RANDOM PATROL.......................32 REPORT WRITING.........................6

SOLICITING.....................................2 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY............3 SUSPICIOUS PERSON................2 THEFT..................................................1 TRAFFIC HAZARD.......................2 TRAFFIC STOP................................3 TRAINING..........................................1 TRESPASSER ....................................1 TOTAL.................................................571

Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip Don’t be the first Bird Scooter statistic ! If riding scooters, watch for pedestrians and vehicles. If driving on or around campus; WATCH for scooters.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Lifestyle & People | Page 3

CAMPUS NEWS

Photo by CYNTHIA RANGEL | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ACUTV upgraded with new studio and equiptment over the summer.

ACUTV reaches platform of ESPN ALLISON HARRELL STAFF REPORTER

ACUTV plans to produce live streaming online for ESPN3 of ACU football when they compete against University of the Incarnate Word on Sept. 29 and Nicholls State on Oct. 13.

Hutton Harris, video production manager for ACUTV, was proud to announce ACUTV’s newest projects: covering at least two games this fall on ESPN3. For the first time, ACUTV will be viewed on

New OMA director named Continued from Page 1 different understanding of what OMA’s purpose is for campus, and we seek to stay committed to the Word and the Spirit to guide us in how to thrive collectively in our community.”

By committing to the Word and Spirit, Napier said she hopes the body of believers on campus will better understand the purpose of OMA. Similarly to how the body of Christ has many different parts, performing different functions, the student organizations on campus serve their respective purposes. Napier is dedicated to serving her purpose in OMA and leading OMA in serving its purpose on campus.

“One strength of OMA is diversity,” Napier said.

“There are so many ideas that can come together in one space, embrace their difference, but still enjoy each other as one. In our society, it is often difficult to allow diverse mindsets in the same space. Another strength is love. Everyone loves on each other so much, you can’t help but feel at home.”

Napier said she plans to maximize the strengths with her passion and voice, hoping to lead the way for others to do the same.

Napier brings a vibrant, Christ-centered attitude to her position, embodying some key qualities that ACU promises to be. She said she prefers to speak with her actions rather than her words.

“Just prepare your hearts, minds and spirits.”

a globally-recognized platform. Nathan Gibbs, director of operations for ACUTV, said he had originally contacted ESPN a couple of years ago, after learning of the partnership ESPN offers with universities. The partnership entails that if a university has a broadcasting facility and the equipment available, they can exchange the content for the platform. ESPN allows universities to broadcast their games as if it were television on their website.

“It’s a pretty big deal,”

Gibbs said. “This will be an experiment, our first time trying. We will see if it works well and if athletics likes it. We are hoping that next year more of the games would be streamed for ESPN, and, perhaps, we’d get to basketball.”

ACUTV has already hit the ground running, covering important events across campus, such as Wildcat Week, Opening Chapel and Volleyball vs. Texas Tech.

Both Gibbs and Harris share the same vision to expand the program; to

correspond with all departments of ACU, instead of specifically athletics.

“I’d like to partner with other people across campus,” Gibbs said. “If they’ve got conversations, discussions, presentations or educational things they want to do, we’ve got a great space for them.”

New assets for ACUTV include more remote-controlled cameras, teleprompters and the recently renovated broadcast studio set. For the first time, classes will take place inside the studio, mean-

ing students will have the benefit of training in the broadcast environment. Last year, the ACUTV staff consisted of about 30 students. This year, the team has grown by nearly 25 members. ACUTV attempts to train all students to the position of their choice and give them experience in those positions.

“There are a lot of jobs that we have to get filled,” Gibbs said. “Every project requires about ten people, at minimum. There is a lot of work to be done.”

The demand for

ACUTV’s technological assistance in further marketing the various programs offered here at ACU are at an all-time high. The program brought in about $75,000 of revenue within the past school year and continues to grow. With the new projects for the coming year, the projected estimate of revenue is $90,000.

“In the end, I just want to make ACU look good,” Gibbs said. “If we make ACU look good, then the department looks good, and that helps market the university.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Rushing to begin for sophomores EVAN RODRIGUEZ OPINIONS EDITOR Fall rushing will begin with women’s teas on Sunday, Sept. 9.

Teas are mandatory for all sophomore and junior women interested in rushing and pledging. The deadline for women to

sign up to pledge is Thursday at midnight. The deadline for men to sign up is Wednesday at midnight.

Those are hard deadlines, according to the Office of Student Life, and sign-ups following this date will not be counted.

Changes to the pledging process this year will

be minor. Student Life will conduct an additional mandatory all-rush meeting in September to inform prospective pledges of the process for the following weeks, said Chris Herrington, coordinator of student organizations and productions.

“It’ll be a meeting to ex-

plain how bid night works, how pledging works and how all of that works for them,” Herrington said.

While freshmen with a high enough GPA could always pledge in the spring, they could only pledge clubs with less than fifty active members. Now, all clubs regardless of their

active member count, will be able to opt into spring pledging. According to Herrington, conversations with club presidents about whether or not they will take a pledge class in the upcoming spring semester will occur once fall pledging ends.

SGA looks forward to upcoming elections ALYSSA HIGH STAFF REPORTER Student Government Association (SGA) is an organization that ensures student’s time on campus is well represented.

Next week, SGA will host its first “SGA Week” to inform interested students of the mission and goals of SGA. Elections are on Thursday, Sept. 7.

“Essentially, we’re your voice to the administration,” explained Executive President Ty Kelley, senior information systems major from San Antonio. “The best way to make the most

of your ACU experience is by getting plugged in and that’s what our organization is here for.”

Students can get plugged into the organization by participating in SGA week.

From September 3-7, current SGA officers provide information on positioning, campaigning and elections. More information will be available at SGA interest meetings on Friday, Aug. 31 at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., as well as Monday, Sept. 3 at 11:30 a.m. in COBA 201. For students interested in running for a position, attendance to one meeting is mandatory.

“

The best way to make the most of your ACU experience is by getting plugged in...”

TY KELLEY EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT

Outside of the executive cabinet, SGA offers class officers, departmental representation and interest group positions.

There are 50 to 60 positions throughout SGA representing different people groups or the student body as a whole.

The available positions include: class and hall positions, and college representatives.

“ACU is a unique community because we have so

many student leaders and we have a lot of on-campus jobs and students that are serving our community,” said Press Secretary Mikaela Clinton, a senior Advertising/Public Relations major from San Antonio.

“I think that’s really what I want to continue to see and I think that’s the goal behind every one of our initiatives is that we want to see students in power be student leaders.”

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September 16-19, 2018 acu.edu/summit

Page 4 |News

Friday, August 31, 2018

ABILENE NEWS

New apartments rising in downtown Abilene BRIAN SWEET SPORTS REPORTER

The city of Abilene is attempting to entice college students or recent graduates to stay in the downtown area by encouraging more apartments.

City leaders say they haven’t reached the millennial market after they graduate college. So far, they have two apartment buildings in downtown Abilene— the Wooten and the Windsor.

Most students at colleges in Abilene will rent apartments or houses near their university to save

A new downtown initiative started with the Wooten and Windsor, encouraging students and graduates to stay in Abilene.

money on travel to and from school. But Steve Dieterichs, downtown development director for the city of Abilene, said the city is trying to reach out to college students now.

“We’re really focused on getting more youthful vibe downtown, so students and graduates especially,” Dieterichs said. “There’s a big push to encourage students once they grad-

uate to stay in the city of Abilene. That involves not only offering the type of housing that they want, which we are finding more and more is an urban setting like downtown.”

This is not the only development underway in the downtown area. Plans are to build a hotel near the Abilene Convention Center that will attract visitors to stay near down-

town Abilene instead of staying along the loop around Abilene.

“The hotel is in the final stages for planning,” Dietrichs said. “The city is currently working with the financial partner at looking at different ways of funding and looking over the final projections to see if they work. The city manager said that they expected the master development agreement to go to the city council for approval in late September or early October.”

CAMPUS NEWS

A cappella groups bring original sound to campus ASHLEY ALFRED STAFF WRITER

Two new a cappella groups will make their debut on campus this semester.

The groups, Hilltop and Gracenote, are led by Nick Tatum, director of student productions and professor of communication & sociology, and Kayla Torp, senior vocal music education major from Hewitt.

“We both felt as though there needed to be more a cappella singing at ACU, specifically in worship,” Torp said. “There was a high demand for a pop a cappella group, but we didn’t know how to round up 10-15 upperclassmen to participate in a rigorous group.”

Torp said when they began forming the groups, they targeted freshmen only,

“

“I hope these groups are communities that students can be a part of to find a place on ACU’s campus where they can use the gifts they’ve been given.”

NICK TATUM DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PRODUCTIONS

creating the a cappella worship group Foundation in the 2017 fall semester. Following the group’s success, Tatum and Torp decided to move forward and create the additional groups for upperclassmen involvement.

“One thing about these groups is that they provide an opportunity for students who have a passion for singing, performing and worship but maybe aren’t interested in choir or theater,” said Tatum.

“I hope these groups are

communities that students can be a part of to find a place on ACU’s campus where they can use the gifts they’ve been given.”

Hilltop and Gracenote will perform during ACU Summit, chapel and with Foundation multiple times throughout the semester.

“Being a Church of Christ campus, it’s easy for us to get into the routine of thinking a cappella singing and worshipping is boring and not meaningful,” said Tatum. “I hope these groups can inspire students and faculty to revive and reconnect with our Church of Christ roots of a cappella music.”

Students will have the opportunity to audition for Hilltop and Gracenote on a date to be determined, following Freshman Follies.

Photo courtesy of TESSA KENNEDY | STAFF REPORTER Foundation, a freshman a capella group started by Tatum, performs at a concert last year. Tatum plans to start two new a capella groups, Hilltop and Gracenote.

STAFF COLUMN

The NBA deserves your attention this season HOT OFF THE PRESTON MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

Senior convergence journalism major from Amarillo Downtown housing plans to reach a younger market started with the Wooten and the Windsor.

Don’t lie, when you sports fans saw Demarcus Cousins sign with the Golden State Warriors this summer, you immediately thought, “The NBA is trash,” or “I’m not watching this season.”

Do yourself a favor and calm down before you’re sold on the assumption of the Warriors winning the title again. I admit I was frustrated to see them land Cousins, but I realized the Hampton Five still have competition around the league.

Fans have to realize the Celtics are a force to be reckoned with after the team’s run in the playoffs and oh yeah, they did it without the help of its superstar teammates Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward due to injuries.

The Celtics are a team that can easily give the Warriors a run for its money with all the depth it possesses on its roster.

As for other teams, the Lakers obviously landed LeBron James this summer, and with a prom-

ising young team, Los Angeles might be in for a successful year.

You also can’t forget the 76ers with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Thunder with Russell Westbrook and Paul George and the Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul. There’s many possible outcomes to this season where the Warriors may not hoist the trophy at the end.

Even with the Raptors landing Kawhi Leonard, Toronto will have a chance at making it deep into the playoffs with help of Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.

Another thing to question, is when does a team simply have too much talent to hold on one roster?

In my opinion, a team can only have so many stars before an extra one comes in and ruins the chemistry of the entire organization.

There’s no question Cousins is a great player, but he can also have some drama and baggage to him. He wants to be in the

spotlight and be a top scorer as well as a defender also.

With him being on a Warriors team filled with top tier scorers in Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, he could very well be a fourth option every night. If I know anything about Cousins, I know he won’t like dealing with that.

Cousins will also be sidelined with an injury until the later half of the season most likely and the sad truth is, the Warriors won’t even need him in the time he’s gone. Golden State will basically be the same championship team it was last year without him.

When Cousins returns from his injury, I can see the Warriors having a hard time adjusting to his addition on the team. They’ll be adding another man onto the court that will want to score and pad his stats.

Maybe Golden State figures it out though. Maybe they establish chemistry and end up wrecking the entire NBA just as every other fan predicts at this moment.

There are too many outcomes and possibilities for me to give up on this season right now though. I’m excited to see how another team can defeat the juggernaut that is the Warriors.

WITH COACH ADAM DORREL, GRANT BOONE, AND MAX PRESTON

@acutv @acuoptimist @optimistsports

WATCH SATURDAYS AT 11 AM ON K TAB -T V acuoptimist.com

Friday, August 31, 2018

Opinion | Page 5

The Optimist exists for the good of all OUR TAKE

THE ISSUE At no fault of their own, students, faculty and alumni have opinions regarding the purpose of The Optimist that could contradict our mission statement.

The Optimist exists to inform the student body on pertinant information at the university and within the larger community, regardless of whether it paints the university in a positive light.

Optimist Editorial Board | editor@jmcnetwork.com The mission statement of the Optimist is, “To serve Christ by being fair as we aim to accurately report information to the campus, alumni and surrounding community.”

Our mission statement is short yet thorough. The Optimist is not the public relations department of the university. While we do all share a love for this university, we also share a love for pursuing the truth.

The truth can be uncomfortable and hard to hear at times, yet we shouldn’t shy away from it if the alternative is being fed a steady diet of nice things we like to hear.

Furthermore, this university is not an island.

We exist inside of a larger community, which includes Abilene and even the world. In the same way which there are many organizations on campus

focused on the world outside of ACU, we believe it is important to inform students on the happenings of the wider world. We do this for two reasons: First, when you leave ACU, your circle of influence will exist beyond a three-mile radius on the north side of a small, west Texas college town. Second, we focus on events outside of our campus, because they have ramifications for students

“Well it may be the news, but it’s not MY news.” now and in the future.

Local crime matters. Who your U.S. Senator for the next six years is matters.

Decisions made by the Abilene City Council directly affect our lives here.

Even if you’re on your way out, you should still care

about the Abilene you’re leaving behind.

During this school year, we will not pass the buck on the larger community.

We promise to provide relevant content concerning the “real world” while clearly presenting the ramifications

on students. We aim to be more than a social calendar of “fun” events occurring on campus.

Because at the end of the day, we’re all just humans, hopefully trying to make a positive impact on the world around us.

STAFF COLUMNIST

And we back to campus... so let’s hit that intro MADS AT ACU MADELINE DAYTON COLUMNIST

Senior global studies and business management major from Katy, Texas Dear ACU: Welcome back!

As Chance the Rapper says, “And we back… this ain’t no intro, this the entree!” And Chance is (usually) right; we’re back and hitting the ground running as a campus. We have a newly- renovated World Famous Bean, construction all around campus and new freshmen. Let’s chat about the meat of

what life is like here.

ACU is a place where community is present everywhere. The ACU promise itself says, “ACU is a vibrant, innovative, Christ-centered community that engages students in authentic spiritual and intellectual growth, equipping them to make a real difference in the world.”

And this has mostly proven true, at least for me. I’ve

been privileged to engage in many ACU communities that have changed my faith and me for the better, and I’ll be forever grateful. But that does not mean we can accept stagnation in our community and shy away from growth. While ACU claims to be an innovative, Christ-centered community, many struggle to find community here. I know many students who have felt isolated, lonely and/or shamed during their time at ACU. We all do at one time or another. If there’s one thing you take away from this column, it’s that we have to find ways to marginalize less and

love more. I’m firmly convinced that there are so many ways we as faculty, staff and students can embody ACU’s promise better than we do currently.

Sometimes, it feels like everyone here fits in the same box, besides you, right?

We all have our struggles.

Personally, I have depression and anxiety, and I have felt marginalized at ACU. People don’t talk about mental health awareness on campus enough, even though on most American college campuses, about 25% of students are taking medication for their mental health.

Another huge part of our

community has been marginalized by race relations or LGBTQ+ policies on this campus. We need to have conversations about all of these topics in classrooms, in the Bean and in our daily lives. These conversations shouldn’t be avoided or talked about behind closed doors. We need to do more than just improve our food options in the Campus Center and bring scooters to campus, as fun as they are. Real change starts with conversations including all types of students, faculty and staff. ACU’s Title IX office just hosted the first ever Sexual Assault Awareness &

Prevention month in April of 2018, and this was a positive step in the right direction for real change at our university.

Don’t get me wrong; ACU is an incredible place. The sunsets are spectacular. Praise Fridays are a tradition like no other. I have fallen in love with parts of ACU that I will hold dear to my heart, as I’m sure many of you have. But I’m ready to keep start bettering our community and not put band-aids on the real issues facing us.

So let’s give this semester “all we got” and make real differences out there: on campus, in Abilene and the world.

STAFF COLUMNIST

Why to invest in student media QUITE FRANCO-LY LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Senior psychology and convergence journalism major from Fort Worth, Texas Though it didn’t make front-page headlines, a recent news article shared the experience of student-journalists at Liberty University.

I am very thankful for the relationship the Optimist has with President Schubert. He is open and honest with us about campus occurrences. He reads the paper and has even extended words of encouragement on multiple occasions.

But I fear the rhetoric of the Liberty University administration is an example of how some alumni and students expect the Optimist to perform.

Jerry Falwell, the university’s president, along with other faculty members, consistently spiked and discouraged news stories that had negative implications for the school. Falwell expressed that the newspaper had been “established to champion the interests of the university, disseminate

information about happenings on Liberty’s campus.”

Bryce Kirk, the dean of the school of communication & digital content, told the newspaper staff in a meeting, “Your job is to keep the LU reputation and the image as it is. Don’t destroy the image of LU. Pretty simple. OK?” Reading this as a student-journalist, I was disappointed. I’m thankful to my advisors, faculty, and staff who invest their time in making our newspaper credible and thorough.

Our job as journalists is not to make anyone or anything look better. Our job as journalists is to accurately report happenings that affect students and the campus in general.

We will make mistakes and be open to accountability and repercussions, but ultimately, we need the support of the stu-

dent body to report facts, not just information that makes people feel better.

ACU has blessed me in numerous ways and provided opportunities that I wouldn’t get elsewhere.

But ACU isn’t perfect. Part of our job is shedding light on the imperfections and the mistakes our university makes. We are not a marketing or public relations publication for ACU; we are fact-reporting students.

I’ve never hated ACU. There are a lot of things I disagree with and a lot of things I wish administration would address, but my goal as editor-in-chief is to inform students as much as possible - in the good and the bad - as fast as possible.

If the football team has a losing record, we aren’t going to sugar coat it. If a student gets reprimanded for actions in a dorm room or a relationship, we aren’t going to beat around the bush.

We won’t stoop to shallow expectations and an all-happy, all-positive narrative. We will fairly and accurately report the news.

EDITORIAL AND LETTER POLICY Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing

personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes.

Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

Helena @huh_lay_nah_ The only thing that would have made the Jesse McCartney concert better is if he had ridden through the crowd on a Bird while singing a new version of Beautiful Soul called “Birdiful Soul” Xel-ha @xelhasalinas Reason ACU bought a bunch of bird scooters: so students could get to class on time What students have done with those scooters on the first day: have races— try and do tricks— almost run me over— create gangs Snapchat of the Week

Jonathan Shaw @jonny_shaw_10 BREAKING: @ACU_Soccer has a good goalkeeper in Rachel Johnson Frank @lauren_franco1 opening chapel is just a christian pep rally tbh Whitney Isbell @WhitneyIsbell1 i have this really random mischievous urge to go to random pools in my lifeguard swimsuit and whistle at people and see what happens Carley Browning @CarleyBrowning Mental breakdown here we go EMC @HeyItsEbbi I forgot to do the assigned reading for class and we have quizzes on it. The professor announced it will be a take home quiz God is always on the lookout for me Cedric Garza @CedricGarza Just saw 2 people ride their bikes through the grass on campus Do we live in a lawless society??????

Bailey Marshall @baileymarshalll ACU bird scooters: bringing the people together and also ripping people apart nick boone @Nickboone5 About 6 years ago youth ministers decided to all get the same haircut

T H E

O P T I M I S T

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Sports | Page 6

Friday, August 31, 2018

FOOTBALL

Work for Baylor to end Saturday in Waco

Volleyball Team

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The football season will finally begin this Saturday with the anticipated match of ACU and Baylor in Waco.

Last season, both teams struggled to find success as the Wildcats ended with a 2-9 record while Baylor went 1-11.

Since then, ACU has signed 24 new members to the squad and is also transitioning to a new starting quarterback in redshirt sophomore Luke Anthony.

Anthony said getting to play the Bears will be a great experience for him and his teammates.

“Obviously, it’s a cool opportunity to play a power-five team from Texas,” Anthony said. “I think we all are ready to go out and play football again whether against Baylor or anyone else. We know the magnitude of this game, but we haven’t let it distract us from trying to prepare in the appropriate way.”

Last year, Anthony managed to throw almost twice as many touchdown passes (11) as former starter Dallas Sealey did all year (6).

He nearly threw half of his scores in the wild 44-35 loss to Sam Houston State when he finished with five touchdown passes on 37 competitions out of 67 attempts and 297 yards. He also broke the ACU single-game records of completions and attempts with each of those numbers in the SHSU game.

STANDINGS Ovrl. Div.

UCA HBU SFA SHSU ACU NWSU SELU UNO Nicholls UIW Lamar McNeese TAMU-CC

3-0 4-0 3-0 2-1 2-3 1-2 1-2 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 0-3 0-4

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Soccer Team

Photo by MAX PRESTON | SPORTS DIRECTOR Head Coach Adam Dorrel prepares his team for Baylor at the Purple-White scrimmage.

Other notable returning starters for the Wildcats include redshirt junior running back Tracy James, redshirt junior safety Bolu Onifade and senior safety Brandon Richmond.

James had a breakout season as the Wildcats’ starting running back taking over, then a senior, De’Andre Brown’s reign. James carried the ball 113 times and gained 658 yards averaging 5.6 per carry with two touchdowns.

Onifade and Richmond also broke out and surprised the team as they led the defense in tackles. Onifade made 76 tackles on the year, while Richmond totalled 72. The only other player to

reach at least 70 tackles on the year was now graduated linebacker Sam Denmark.

With Baylor returning a few starters on the defensive line and redshirt senior defensive tackle Ira Lewis headlining the group, the ACU offensive line will have quite the challenge in week one. Lewis led the Bears in sacks last year as he totalled 5.5 and made 34 tackles.

Head coach Adam Dorrel said he feels confident in his offensive line, despite the talent on the defensive front of Baylor.

“Without question, we are eight times better on the O-line than we were last year,” Dorrel said. “I’m just

super pleased with the development of our offensive line, they are going to be better this year, they have a huge challenge in front of them Saturday. We’re going to do some things to try and help them control that pass rush.”

With the quarterback decision up in the air for Baylor, it looks as if the likely starter will be the sophomore Charlie Brewer. The Austin native split a lot of playing time with now Tulsa junior transfer Zach Smith.

Brewer completed 139 passes out of 204 attempts for 1562 yards and 11 touchdowns. His rating was a solid 146.3 and he averaged 7.7

yards per completion.

Junior wide receiver Denzel Mims will likely be a big target for Brewer at the returning wideout racked up 1,087 yards in 2017 and averaged 17.8 yards per reception with eight touchdowns.

Senior safety Verkedric Vaughns rounds out the Baylor defense as the leading tackler from last season of the returners. Vaughns made 42 tackles along with two tackles for a loss and one sack.

The game will begin at 7 p.m. in McLane Stadium.

Coverage can be viewed on Fox or heard on 98.1 FM.

Ovrl.

McNeese 3-1 UCA 2-1-1 Lamar 2-2 ACU 2-2 NWSU 2-2 SELU 2-1 SHSU 1-1-1 HBU 1-2 SFA 1-2 TAMU-CC 0-2 UIW 0-3 Nicholls 0-4

Div. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

SCHEDULE Football ACU SELU NWSU McNeese UCA UIW Nicholls KCU SBU

v v v v v v v v v

Baylor ULM TAMU UNC Tulsa UNM Kansas Lamar HBU

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Football

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball defeated by Tech in home opener LEXI KIRGAN SPORTS REPORTER

The Wildcats took on Texas Tech for its first home game of the season and lost in three straight sets.

Texas Tech came out firing in the first set winning 25-10. The Wildcats tried to come back to life in the second set, but still fell short 25-20 and even-

tually dropped the third set 25-18.

Red Raider junior outside hitter Emily Hill was the top scorer for her team landing 10 kills and senior setter Missy Owens was the top passer with 19 assists.

Aside from the loss, ACU had one of the biggest turnouts in awhile in Moody as 2,287 people were in attendance.

Senior outside hitter

Jacey Smith said she was happy to play for a strong crowd at home.

“It was amazing,” Smith said. “Truly, I am so thankful for everyone that showed up and gave us a great atmosphere.

They were encouraging the whole game.”

Smith was an important player for the Wildcats in the game as she posted six kills and one assisted block.

Senior setter Kendall Bosse was another key player to the team posting 20 assists in the game.

Bosse said she knows what her team has to work on next time in order to come out successful.

“I think the biggest thing that we can improve is our mental game, using positive self talk and having confidence on the court and with each oth-

er.” Bosse said.

The Wildcats will next compete in the Texas State Creeds and Crests Classic this weekend at San Marcos. The team’s schedule will include matches against the University of Texas at San Antonio Friday and James Madison and Texas State on Saturday.

The first match against UTSA is scheduled for noon.

PREDICTIONS

FOOTBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW

Anthony Redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony is beginning his first full season as the starter this weekend in Waco against Baylor. Anthony’s last effort was a five touchdown and 297 yard performance against Sam Houston State in the previous season. The new signal caller will experience his first Power five defense this Saturday.

Soccer

2017 SEASON

19.0

POINTS PER GAME

24.33

86.8

RUSH YPG

117.3

244.6

PASSING YPG

287.67

29.2

POINTS ALLOWED

35.92 BAYLOR UNIVERSITY (0–0)

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (0–0)

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

Johnson

RACHEL POE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

MADISON CRITES SPORTS REPORTER

BRIAN SWEET

Redshirt junior goalie Rachel Johnson was named Southland Conference goalkeeper of the week. Johnson posted two overtime shutouts last week against UTEP and UTRGV. She also gave up only one goal in a tough loss to Texas Tech.

Johnson and her team will be back in action Sunday at 1 p.m. against New Mexico State.

SPORTS REPORTER

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Football is back, and we’re playing Baylor Saturday. Now, two or three years ago, I would have said there’s no question Baylor will win this game; however, times have changed. With the firing of Art Briles and the loss of many recruits, Baylor has taken a turn for the worse. The Bears previous season was a nightmare as the team only picked up one win over Kansas and finished 1-11. Baylor’s numbers were not impressive either, with the team totalling 1,407 rushing yards and 3,452 passing yards on the year.

Now you may argue the Wildcats were 2-9 last season and it doesn’t matter how bad Baylor was because they play Big 12 schools. With Luke Anthony going through spring and summer training as the true starter, he will be ready to sling touchdowns to his wideouts this year. I’m not usually one to go out on a limb with predictions, but I like ACU’s chances and think they can rob a victory out of the Bears.

The football team, fans and students have been waiting for the ACU and Baylor football since last year.

Students have bought their tickets and have been planning their trip to Waco since last Spring.

The ACU football team and coaches have been preparing for this game since early Spring. Meanwhile, in Waco, Baylor fans have been thinking this opening game should be an easy win for their school. The Baylor football team has to maintain their reputation. They can not let a small town football team from Abilene beat them. They do not want to repeat the humulation from the Liberty and Baylor game all over again. Our Wildcats will give the Baylor Bears quite a fight everyone has been waiting for. A lot has been said about this upcoming Saturday night game. The winner will be determined Saturday night at McLane Stadium at 7 p.m.

With the Bears coming off a tough 2017 season ending with a disappointing 1-11 record, the Wildcats are looking forward to taking on the storied Baylor program. Redshirt sophomore Luke Anthony will be looking to start as QB against a strong, yet not unbreakable defense. While ACU students and fans look forward to games like Baylor vs. Liberty to hold on to a hope of a major upset, the numbers still are unfortunately against us. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m more than sure our Wildcats will put up a fight and make the Bears work for their win.

But looking at past records and stats, I hate to say the likeliness of us coming home with the first loss of the season is looking more like a reality.

While ACU looks like a complete underdog against Baylor, you can’t count them out, especially after what happened last year when Liberty walked into Waco and took the win. Right now we don’t even know who the starting QB is for Baylor, but ACU hopes it Charlie Brewer who is an inexperienced QB. While Baylor’s wide receiver core looks dangerous on paper, ACU’s no fly zone secondary lead by redshirt junior Bolu Onifade can limit its passing yards. Baylor has already lost its starting projected linebacker for the game. This will let Luke Anthony to get some short yardage over the middle and allow our running backs to get good gains down the middle of the field. I think ACU will be getting a shout out from ESPN college GameDay the following weekend.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 27 BU 24

FINAL SCORE: ACU 21 BU 17

FINAL SCORE: ACU 17 BU 24

FINAL SCORE: ACU 35 BU 31

Volleyball

Bosse Senior setter Kendall Bosse has showed good leadership and is guiding her teammates well with 178 assists on the season so far. She added 20 more to her total in the loss to Texas Tech Tuesday evening.

Volleyball will be on the road this weekend for its next three matches in San Marcos.

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